


Back to Vegas

by vega_voices



Series: Sleeps with Butterflies [24]
Category: CSI
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-30
Updated: 2010-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-19 18:14:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vega_voices/pseuds/vega_voices
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Sara moved into her own home office and curled up in the big red armchair he’d always occupied when they worked in the room together. Somehow, despite the time since he’d sat there, it still smelled like him. “It’s harder than I thought to be so far away from you.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back to Vegas

**Author's Note:**

> there were many things that sent me running from the CSI fandom, Sara’s departure among them and some of them personal. I don’t know how much I am back, honestly. I do know that after years, I am getting caught up on the series and I am loving writing Sara again.

_**Fanfic: CSI - Back To Vegas**_  
 **Title:** Back to Vegas  
 **Author:** [](http://vegawriters.livejournal.com/profile)[**vegawriters**](http://vegawriters.livejournal.com/)  
 **Fandom:** CSI  
 **Pairing:** GSR  
 **Rating:** PG  
 **Timeframe:** Season 10 premiere.  
 **A/N:** This is a part of my [Sleeps with Butterflies](http://vega-voices.livejournal.com/tag/sleeps%20with%20butterflies) universe, which is being reposted, story by story, [here](http://vega-voices.livejournal.com/tag/sleeps%20with%20butterflies). 2) Thank you to [](http://sand-mercury.livejournal.com/profile)[**sand_mercury**](http://sand-mercury.livejournal.com/) for introducing Sara to Agent Ribbons.  
 **Personal Note:** there were many things that sent me running from the CSI fandom, Sara’s departure among them and some of them personal. I don’t know how much I am back, honestly. I do know that after years, I am getting caught up on the series and I am loving writing Sara again.

 **Summary:** _Sara moved into her own home office and curled up in the big red armchair he’d always occupied when they worked in the room together. Somehow, despite the time since he’d sat there, it still smelled like him. “It’s harder than I thought to be so far away from you.”  
_

She was humming some tune to herself, some piece of something she’d overheard in the coffee shop that morning. It was fabulously French; instrumental yet the guitars spoke in a perfectly crafted Parisian accent. The same sixteen bars had been stuck in her head all day and she was about to kill something. A few hours alone with her iPod and some Agent Ribbons would do her wonders.

Not that Agent Ribbons wouldn’t get any more stuck in her head and drive her completely batshit crazy on the flight to Vegas. Thank God for the layover in Salt Lake. Customs would be so much easier to manage there.

“Do you have everything you need?” Grissom’s voice startled her and Sara jumped and turned, clutching a white t-shirt to her chest. Her knees backed up against the bed.

“God, Gil. I need to put a bell around your neck.” Sara tossed the t-shirt into the suitcase behind her. “I’m covered. Packed up the documents and the laptops and the application copy already. I’ve set up the meeting with the realtor in Vegas. I’ve got meetings lined up in Vegas and DC with funders. All you need to worry about is signing the papers I left for you on the kitchen table.”

Her husband held up two file folders. In one was the sheaf of papers demanded by the Smithsonian. In the other was the stack of irritation that was some legal twitch regarding the house they owned in Vegas. “Done.” He smiled and stepped completely into the bedroom. “Thank you for taking care of this, Sara.”

“First off, you’re welcome. Secondly, it’s my research grant too and if I have to sit on people while they sign it, I will. Third, it’s also my house last I checked and if there’s a property tax issue we haven’t taken care of while we’ve been traipsing around the world, I’d like to be the one to figure it out.”

“Why?” His voice was soft, concerned, and it occurred to her that despite the time they’d spent together, for all of the things they’d discussed and hammered out, there were still a lot of issues that were still red and swollen. She was as happy as she’d ever been, but there was still so much they needed to figure out.

Maybe that, she realized, was the point of marriage. It wasn’t about being perfect before it happened. It was about figuring out all the little things along the way. Maybe “for better or worse” didn’t just mean in good times and in bad, but for all of the little conversations it was so easy to ignore.

Her answer to his question was so easy but she wasn’t sure if he’d understand. “Because I left first.”

Whether he understood what she meant or not, Grissom nodded and held out his hand to her. Sara took it and slid up to lean against his body, her head resting on his heart. “I love you.” His voice was soft and when he spoke, the air in his chest cavity rumbled slightly. They were three simple words, a total of eight letters, and they meant the world to her. They meant that she could disappear into her own world and he’d be waiting, just like he could vanish into the great hallows of the Sorbonne and she would open her arms when he emerged.

“I love you,” she responded softly.

“When is your flight?”

“Six.”

Grissom chuckled and slid his hand around her waist. “Good.” His lips landed on hers and Sara pulled him back with her toward the bed.

* * *

The house stood silently at the end of the long driveway, just as it had the day she’d left. They’d chosen it together, searching for something that would give them the nest they wanted while allowing for the space each of them needed. Not too far from the city, but far enough away that the bright lights of the strip didn’t filter through the curtains. Nestled back in an older neighborhood, on two acres of trees and sand, the loft style home was cozy, but spacious.

Sara pulled into the car port and turned off the engine on her rental. Gil had sold his SUV when he moved, but her prius was still there, under a tarp. Tomorrow she’d convince Greg to come visit and drive her to the airport so she could return the rental. As it was, he’d kick her ass for not telling him she was back in town right away, but she needed the time to readjust. She’d fled, leaving behind friends and family and a home she loved. She needed to settle in before she met up with the guys and shared war stories.

Slowly, she stepped out of the car and slung her purse over her shoulder. Her suitcase could wait, but she did grab the tech bag. The backpack held her personal laptop, the laptop she used for research, her Kindle and iPod, and her myriad of cameras and research tools. The bag weighed more than her suitcase. Digging her keys out of the front pocket, she headed to the door, hoping that Grissom hadn’t changed the alarm code and forgotten to tell her.

Dust greeted her as she unlocked the door and quickly, Sara typed in the code she remembered. The red light changed to a calm blue and the chirping of the alarm stopped. Assuring her entrance into the house safe from security system visits, Sara kicked off her shoes, locked the door behind her, and walked up the blue carpeted steps to the main level of the house.

She knew the water and natural gas were currently turned off; the electricity remained on for purposes of security. She’d called the companies before leaving Paris, and things were scheduled to be on by this afternoon. Sara emerged from the carport stairs into the alcove that held their washer and dryer and into the home’s expansive kitchen. The blackout drapes were closed and before even shrugging off her backpack, she pulled the chords, allowing the light to chase away the shadows she’d left behind.

Grissom had planned before his departure. The furniture was covered with sheets, pictures turned down to protect the glass in case they fell. The cupboards were tied shut with zip ties. Without bothering to remove the sheet from the kitchen table, Sara set her backpack down on the table and moved through the house, opening blinds to let in light where available. It was warm and she cracked windows, allowing for air to circulate. She pulled sheets off the couch and chairs, leaving them in a pile to be washed later. She opened doors to rooms, taking in the packed bookshelves and spotless desks and Grissom’s favorite chair. The stairs to the loft master bedroom were dusty, but could be swept later. In the bedroom, she found the bed they’d bought together, stripped down and the pillows piled on the chest at the footboard. Inside the chest was a final set of sheets and blankets, to remake the bed upon their return. Sara pulled them out and set them on the mattress.

Heading back down the stairs, Sara pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed. Grissom answered on the first ring.

“Hey. I’m here. Safe and sound and the house seems to be in one piece. I love the zip ties on the cupboards.”

He chuckled but didn’t respond to her teasing. He didn’t need to. “How was your flight?”

“I slept through most of it.”

A soft laugh warmed her heart. “Good.”

Sara moved into her own home office and curled up in the big red armchair he’d always occupied when they worked in the room together. Somehow, despite the time since he’d sat there, it still smelled like him. “It’s harder than I thought to be so far away from you.”

“Well, we swore it wouldn’t happen again.”

She needed to ignore that he’d said that. It was true; they had promised they would never be this far away from each other again. But they’d also known the words were empty. “Tell me about your day.”

Sara fell into the rhythmic sound of her husband’s voice while he told her about his favorite student, a young man fascinated with forensics and bugs. Garcon reminded them both of Greg – young and full of excitement and an open and fresh way of looking at the world. He was a regular feature at their dinner table, eating up not only Sara’s surprisingly good cooking but their stories of life in Las Vegas.

Suddenly, in the middle of a story, he yawned and she realized it was close to midnight for him. “Go to bed, Gil. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Sara disconnected the phone and stood, heading back into the living room. She tested the faucets and was happy to see water come through the tap, rust colored as it was. It meant she could go to the bathroom. Her trip through the house resumed as she turned on faucets to get the water flowing again and she stopped in the bathroom, desperately needing to pee. The stove came to life when she flipped it on and when she tested the TV, the cable was working. That meant she had internet and could get some work done. Her last stop through was a return to Grissom’s office. The fire-proof filing cabinet was full of the documents she needed for tomorrow’s meeting with their lawyer. The house issues were an easy fix. Somewhere along the way, a staff flunky had filed something in the wrong drawer.

The research grant was another story all together. The startup funding alone was going to require a lot of face time with grantors at the Smithsonian, American University, and even UNLV just to get the application viewed, let alone funded.

There was not a lick of food in the house and Sara quickly sent in an order to her favorite pizza place. The wine she’d picked up on the drive back to the airport was still down in the car along with the toiletries and her suitcase. Grudgingly, she trotted back down to the car and unloaded. She returned to find her phone ringing and a very familiar number on the caller ID.

Curious, she reached for her phone. “This is Sara.”

“Sara! Oh thank God I caught you.” It had been months, but Sara would never forget the nasally tone of Conrad Ecklie’s voice. She suppressed an involuntary shudder. Ecklie wasn’t evil, but the bad blood between them had never been completely cleaned up.

“What can I do for you, Conrad?”

“A case you worked on is up on appeal and I had some questions about the forensics, if you have a minute.”

Sara chuckled. “Actually, I’m in town and can meet with you to go over it if you want.”

“Really?” It was one of the few times she’d ever heard her former director stunned. “Um, how early can you be here in the morning? The CSI handling the case is a day shift girl and she’d probably benefit from hearing it from you.”

“I have a meeting at nine, but I can meet up at seven-thirty. That’s fine.”

“Sara … thank you. I’ll call Kira and tell her.”

She loved that Ecklie didn’t even ask why she was in town. He was just grateful she was able to bend her schedules to his needs. Sara hung up and then dashed down the stairs to snag her pizza from the delivery guy.

***

  
“So … how long are you in town?”

Sara knew Ecklie was staring at the simple gold band on her finger and she forced herself to not twirl it self-consciously. Just sitting in the office brought back memories of his interrogation of her and Grissom after their relationship had been revealed. “I’m not sure, actually. We’ve applied for a research grant but given the state of things, it might take a while to push it through. I’m here lobbying while Grissom is paying bills by guest lecturing at the Sorbonne.”

“Well …” Ecklie shifted his weight, “if you know of anyone … maybe someone you’ve talked to recently …or … if you’re interested … I know Catherine could use a set of hands on the night shift. I mean …we could hire you back as a consultant. You could work as your schedule allowed.”

Sara stopped breathing. Return to the lab? To the place that had almost destroyed her? She glanced through the glass, watching the shift change, glad no one was paying any attention to Ecklie’s office. She saw Nick and Greg walk down the hall, laughing at something, but it seemed empty without Warrick as a part of the three musketeers. She saw Hodges handing something over to his day shift replacement and wondered how many techs had come and gone while she’d been wandering the world with Gil. Was Wendy still beautiful and Mandy still in love with Nick? Was Catherine still … Catherine?

Without realizing she was speaking, she answered. “Sure. On a part time basis. You have to understand I’ll be back and forth a lot.” A small part of her spoke up, reminding her that consultant money was twice that of a normal shift. She and Grissom needed the extra cash for the trek they were planning to take back into the rain forests.

“Fair enough. I’ll tell Catherine you’re coming back, you work out the schedules.”

Sara nodded. “That I can do.” She sighed and held up her hands. “Where do I sign?”

***

  
“You did what?” Sara could hear the concern in his voice, but Grissom was also laughing. “I should have figured you’d do something like that.”

“It was fortuitous, Gil. Ecklie called before I’d even been in town eight hours. It was like he knew I was here.” Suddenly she stopped, wondering Grissom had perhaps made a quick phone call to their old boss. It was all a little too easy to swallow. But she’d let him have his secrets. She appreciated the gesture. “Anyway, they need me.”

“They do, actually. No one understands the physics of a crime scene like you.”

“Thank you.” She paused, testing him, wondering if he’d spill any information. “So you’re okay with it?”

“Sara, you have to keep busy somehow. I’m fine with it. Just don’t forget about your trip back here over Christmas.”

She laughed. “Darnn, I meant to tell you, I already cancelled that flight.”

Grissom snorted. “Funny. I’ll see you on the twenty-second then?”

“With bells on.”

“With nothing on, preferably.”

Sara purred into the phone and leaned back into the still stiff sheets. “Funny man.” She stared out the window, watching the afternoon turn to a lazy, dusky evening, and knew she needed to get a nap in before her time on the graveyard shift. Graveyard. Soon it would again be about midnight trash runs and lasagna for breakfast. It was about working overtime more so than any other shift because she still had to turn in time in court and wait for lab techs to arrive before evidence could be processed. Graveyard.

Blood rushed through her veins. She was excited. Nervous. Overjoyed.

It took a minute to realize Grissom was talking about a new project his students were putting together and she lay back, listening to the bliss in his voice. He too was doing what he loved doing more than anything else. She just wished they could do it on the same continent.

“I should let you sleep.”

“You too.” Sara paused and snuggled under the covers. “I love you, Gil.”

“You too.”

Sara closed her eyes and slept.

***

  
She’d been there only hours before, but everything felt different. The lights were lowered as was the custom with the night shift. Only the necessary lamps burned in the warehouse with few windows. Blue lights glinted off the glass doors that separated trace from DNA from ballistics. The floor reflected back the hazy fluorescents, the whites washed into nothingness.

Home, again. It was oddly comforting. She only paused, nervous, when she passed the cave that had been Grissom’s office. It was separated now, split into three desk spaces. His books and his bugs either in storage or in their apartment 6000 miles away in Paris. Suddenly she wondered if this was such a good idea.

No, it was. Grissom was right. She was going crazy in Paris and being here was good for them. She needed to keep an eye on the grant application and they couldn’t do that overseas. But she hadn’t even clocked in yet and she missed her husband. Deeply. It wasn’t the same without him.

She couldn’t help but wonder if the person who had inherited Grissom’s desk knew how many times they’d had sex on it.

Her journey took her to the meeting room and she watched Ecklie, per usual, storm out in a huff. It didn’t take any effort at all to put a smile on her face. She stepped into the room, tilted her head, and said, “Is this a bad time?”

Around her, people smiled right back. Catherine’s eyes twinkled. Nick looked ready to jump her. There was someone new, Ray perhaps, who was staring at her with a smile.

Yes, Sara realized, she was home.


End file.
